Wagon-brake.



H. M. MAHAN.

WAGON BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1909.

962,775. Patented June 28, 1910.

witnesses 2 (j j? I T V 1: I I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. MAHAN, OF CLANTON, ALABAMA.

WAGON-BRAKE.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. MAI-IAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clanton, in the county of Chilton and State of Alabama, haveinvented a new and useful Wagon-Brake, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improvedconstruction of vehicle brake and the invention aims primarily toprovide a brake of this class so constructed that a maximum pressure maybe applied to the wheels, with which the brake is to cooperate, withoutthe exertion of any considerable manual force.

The invention aims further to provide a brake of this class soconstructed that when the operating lever therefor is swung to setposition, it will automatically lock and the brake parts will besecurely held in set position until the lever is released. In thisconnection, the invention aims to so construct and arrange the lever andthe means which holds the same in locked position, that the lever may bereadily released from locked position and will automatically return tonormal position or nearly to this position when so released.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consistsgenerally, in the construction and arrangement of parts shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a brakeconstructed in accordance with the present in vention, the brake beingshown in normal conditions. Fig. 2 is a similar view, but showing thebrake set. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the brake, the same being shownin normal position; and Fig. 4: is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showingthe brake in set position.

As shown in the drawings, the elements comprising the brake embodyingthe present invention are mounted upon a board 5 which is secured uponthe hounds 6 of the vehicle and the brake embodies among other elementsa brake lever 7 which is of considerable length and is pivoted as at 8through a bracket 9 upon the same board 5. This brake lever carries atits outer end a brake shoe 10 of any approved construction-and extendsgenerally in the direction of the length of the board with its oppositeend terminating short of the other end of the said board as is clearlyshown in the plan view of the drawings. The brake also in- Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed November 29, 1909.

Patented June 28, 1910. Serial No. 530,456.

cludes a brake lever 11 which is considerably shorter than the lever 7and is pivotally mounted as at 12 in a bracket 13 above the board 5,this bracket 13 being identical in construction with the bracket 9 andbeing similarly located (that is near one end of the board 5). Also, thelever 11 is provided at its outer end with a brake shoe 14L of the sameconstruction as the shoe 10.

A link 15 is connected pivotally at its ends with the inner end of thebrake lever 11 and with the lever 7 between its ends so that pivotalmovement of one lever will result in a like movement of the other memberin an opposite direction. There is secured upon the lever 11 between itspivot 12 and its outer end, a bracket 16 which has a downbent rearwardlyextending portion 17 to which is pivoted the lower end of an operatinglever of which the body section is indicated by the numeral 18, therebeing connected with this lever by suitable straps 19, a handle section20. A link 21 is pivotally connected as at 22 to the upbent inner end ofthe lever 7 and at its rear end has similar connection as at 23 with theoperating lever section 18 and between its ends this link is upwardlybowed as at 24, it being preferably of resilient rod material.

It will be observed from an inspection of the several figures of thedrawings, and par ticularly Figs. 3 and 4 thereof that the points ofpivotal connection between the lever 7 and operating lever 18, when thebrake is in normal condition, or in other words the condi tionillustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, are in a line extending above thepivot for the operating lever 18, but when this lever is swungrearwardly to assume the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings inwhich position the brakes will be set, the said pivot point will be thenlocated in a line extending below the pivot for the operating lever,this pivot being received, so to speak, in the concavity 24 of the link21. From this it will be understood that as the operating lever is swungover from the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings to the positionillustrated in Fig. 4 thereof, it will at one point in this movementpass the line of dead center, which line passes theoretically throughthe pivots 22 and 23 and the pivot for the said operating lever so thatwhen the lever has passed this point it will be firmly locked againstreturn movement. It will still further be understood that inasmuch asthe link 21 is resilient, it will tend to straighten as the lever passesthe line of dead center, at which time the link is under greatest stressand that after the lever has passed this position and has assumed theposition shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will exert a constanttension on the lever holding it against return movement until manuallythrown from the position shown in Fig. at. It will be understood thatwhen the brake is employed in connection with the rear wheels of avehicle, a cable or operating lever may be connected with the lever 18,whereby the brake may be unset or released from a position near thedrivers seat although such construction is at the option of the user ofthe brake,and, inasmuch as it forms no part of the present invention,has not been herein shown nor specifically described.

lVhat is claimed is In a brake, mutually connected shoe carrying brakelevers, an operating lever pivoted upon one of the brake levers, and abowed resilient link pivotally connected to the other brake lever and tothe operating lever, the pivots being so located that the points ofconnection between the link and the last mentioned brake lever, and, thelink and operating lever, will be normally in a line above the pivot forthe operating lever, and in av line below said pivot when the brake isset, movement of the lever to bring the point of connection between thelink and the last mentioned brake lever, the link and the operatinglever, and the pivot for the operating lever, all in alinement, beingagainst the tension of said link and tending to straighten its bowedportion.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY M. MAHAN. lVitnesses 'Ron'r. H. KNOX, H. M. SIMPSON.

